China adopts revision to law on civil unmanned aircraft

(MENAFN) China has revised its law regulating civil unmanned aircraft, including drones, as reported by Xinhua. The Standing Committee of the country’s top legislative body approved the revisions during its 19th session in Beijing on Saturday. The new law will take effect on July 1, 2026. Entities involved in designing, producing, importing, maintaining, or operating civil UAVs must apply for airworthiness certification under national regulations unless exempt. The law also bans laser devices that could interfere with airport visual navigation aids and specifies prohibited actions that may disrupt the airport electromagnetic environment.

In addition to the UAV law, lawmakers approved measures on the safety management of hazardous chemicals, revisions to the Fisheries Law, the Law on Standard Spoken and Written Chinese Language, and updates to the Foreign Trade Law, which strengthen intellectual property protections and China’s legal framework in foreign trade, along with corresponding countermeasures. President Xi Jinping signed six presidential orders to enact the laws. Drafts concerning an environmental code, the promotion of ethnic unity, and national development planning will be submitted to the fourth session of the 14th National People’s Congress for further review.

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